Washing machines



A. KLEEFISCH WASHING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Filed June 23, 1965Aug. 22, 1967 P. A. KLEEFISCH 3,336,768

WASHING MACHINES Filed June' 23, 1965 a Sheets-Sheet 2- INV EMTQQ ATE?in/M 15? Kazan; m

ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1967 P. A KLEEFISCH 3,336,768

WASHING MACHINES I Filed June 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United StatesPatent 3,336,768 WASHING MACHINES Peter Alexander Kleefisch, Hildesheim,Germany, assignor to Senkingwerk, Hildesheim, Germany, a Germanpartnership Filed June 23, 1965, Ser. No. 466,278 Claims priority,application Germany, June 27, 1964, S 91,738; Mar. 23, 1965, S 96,127 8Claims. (CI. 68-58) The invention relates to a washing machine with arotary washing drum open at both ends and divided by bafiles intoindividual treatment zones.

Washing machines having an unperforated drum open at both ends havealready been proposed. Within this drum is fitted a member with ahelical surface, extending the full length of the various treatmentzones, such as the individual washing and rinsing zones, to convey thewash through the drum. The disadvantage of such washing machines is thatthey cannot be run at will alternately in different directions, because,the movement of the wash to right or left being too great, one or twoturns must be left free of wash at the beginning and end of the washingdrum. Moreover, because of the relatively high pitch of the turns in thehelix, the discharge of the wash is not continuous. In addition to this,the individual baths of liquid cannot be separated, because of the turnsin the helix and the rotary motion of the washing drum. In washingmachines of this proposed kind, the washing and rinsing compartments arepartitioned off by helical plates or the spaces between them, but thevarious baths of liquid run into one another.

There have also been proposed washing machines in which the wash is kepton the move by virtue of the sloping position of the drum. Bafiles areprovided within the washing drum for the purpose of separating theindividual treatment zones from one another. Experiment has shown thatthese baflles cannot be relied on to keep the individual baths apartaccording to temperature and concentration. The reason for this is that,as the wash being passed through the washing drum is carried along, theprocessing liquid also flows with it from one treatment zone to thenext, so that satisfactory separation of the baths is not assured.

The purpose of the invention is not only to ensure satisfactorytransference of the wash from one treatment zone to the other, but alsoto prevent the processing liquid from flowing across as this takesplace.

Another feature is that the washing drum runs horizontally.

, Two embodiments of a washing machine in accordance with the invention'willnow be described by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section and partial side elevation of a washingmachine conforming to the invention, with separating rings of oneproposed design; FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical section to an enlarged scale, of a washingmachine in accordance with the invention, showing separating rings of asecond embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a separating ring such as shown in FIG.4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the machine of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 3, arotary washing drum 1 has openings 2 and 3, at its ends. The wash 4, isfed into the washing drum 1 through the opening 2 and discharged aftertreatment through the opening 3. The drum 1 is carried by rollers 5which engage in a rigidly attached guide ring 6.

3,336,768 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 The drum 1 may be provided with aV-belt drive, for example, V-belts 7 being carried at one end around afriction surface 8 of the drum and at the other end around a drivingroller, which, for the sake of simplicity, is not shown in the drawing.

The drum 1 is divided into individual treatment zones 9 to 12, of which9 is the preliminary washing bath, 10 the final washing bath, 11 thepreliminary rinsing bath and 12 the final rinsing bath. These individualtreatment zones 9 to 12 are separated by self-contained (that is to sayendless) separating rings 13, which form casings perforated at 14 and15'. The drawing shows clearly that perforations 15 are situated in theperiphery of the end portion of each treatment zone 9 to 12, whereasperforations 14 are situated in the adjacent horizontal peripheral faceof separating rings 13. Annular stepped portions 13a are disposedadjacent the outlet from each separating ring 13. This arrangementensures that the wash 4 is not hindered in its passage through drum 1and that the liquids in each of the treatment zones 9 to 12 are keptseparated according to their temperatures and concentrations. The liquidcarried along with the wash 4 as this passes on into the next treatmentzone is diverted through perforations 14 and 15 back to its proper zone.Thus, the transference of liquid into the adjacent treatment zone issubstantially prevented and the liquid level in each bath is maintainedconstant.

The washing drum 1 also carries rings of perforations at 15, so that,given a continuous feed, the same amount of water is collected incontainers 16 and fed back from there into drum 1.

The wash 4 is fed forward or back by guide ribs 17 (FIGS. 1 and 3).These lie opposite one another, are inclined to the horizontal plane andslope upwards towards discharge opening 3. Owing to the slope on theguide ribs 17, an axial thrust to left or right, according to the senseof rotation, is exerted at every revolution and ensures that wash 4 iskept moving through drum 1. The provision of these guide ribs 17 hasmade it possible for the first time to make washing machines withoutcontinuous helices and without sloping the drum, in which the wash 4 canbe satisfactorily conveyed through the entire length of the drum withoutany auxiliary aids.

To ensure that the wash 4 remains in the washing drum 1 for a givenperiod, the direction of rotation of the drum is changed periodically.Thus, for example, the washing drum 1 may make 4 revolutionsanti-clockwise and 3 revolutions clockwise. The extra anti-clockwiserevolution has the effect of producing a constant feed towards thedischarge opening 3, so that the cleaned wash 4 can be dischargedcontinuously.

The various baths in treatment zones 9 to 12 are kept supplied throughopenings 19 in a feed pipe 18, which passes through the interior of thewashing drum 1. This feed pipe 18 may well be divided into two parts bya separator 18a. The part shown on the left of the drawing serves tosupplyfresh Water for the rinsing baths, whereas the right-hand half issuitable for the supply of hot water and detergent mixture.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, separating rings 20 are in theform of a flat-faced helix with a single turn, the space between the twoends of the helical face being bridged across by a casing 21, containingperforations 22 and 23. These perforations 22 and 23 are provided inside 21a of the casing 21, which faces towards the treatment Zoneconcerned, and in the adjacent face 21b of the casing, which runshorizontally. Adjoining this face 21b is a sloping face 210. As thewashing drum 1 rotates, the wash 4 is lifted up and moves over the faces21c and 21b into the position numbered 4'.

This special design enables washing drum 1 to be run empty, the movementof wash 4 not being hindered by in- 3 terruption of thrust. Moreover,with the embodiment i1- lustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, too, guide ribs 17are provided, though these have not been shown in the drawing, for thesake of simplicity.

The scope of the invention also covers the possibility of making theseparating rings 20 in the form of relatively thin-walled separatingdiscs.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine,

a rotary washing drum having open ends, and baffie means within the drumdefining individual treatment zones, said baflie means comprising,

hollow rings each being formed with openings such that liquid in a givenzone is returned to that zone through the openings if the liquid iscarried into the hollow ring downstream of that zone.

2. In a washing machine,

a rotary washing drum having open ends,

drive means coupled to the drum, and

a plurality of spaced hollow rings mounted within the drum and servingto divide the drum lengthwise into a plurality of individual treatmentzones, each ring including a pair of walls lying in radial planes and acylindrical wall co-axial with the drum, the cylindrical wall and thepart of the drum bounding each ring being provided with openings, saidopening serving to drain any liquid of a given treatment zone which isconveyed out of that zone towards the next adjacent zone.

3. In a washing machine,

a rotary washing drum,

a plurality of hollow helical baflles mounted at spaced intervals withinthe drum, the intervals defining separate treatment zones and eachbaffle extending through substantially one complete turn, and

an apertured casing means spanning the ends of each bafile, thearrangement being such that liquid in any given zone carried in thedirection of the next adjacent downstream zone passes through the saidapertures and is returned to the said given zone.

4. In a washing machine according to claim 3,

a wall of the casing extending in the axial direction of the drum, and

a wall of the casing lying in a radial plane,

both said walls having apertures therein.

5. In a washing machine,

a rotary washing drum,

a plurality of bafiles mounted within the drum and defining a pluralityof individual treatment zones, and

guide ribs inclined with respect to the axis and mounted within the drumin each zone thereof, said guide ribs serving to advance wash materialthrough the drum, each of said baffles being formed with openings suchthat liquid in any given zone is returned to that zone through theopenings if the liquid is carried into the baflles downstream of thatzone.

6. In a washing machine,

a horizontally-extending drum having open ends, and

baffle means mounted within the drum and defining individual treatmentzones,

each baffle means being formed with openings such that liquid in anygiven zone is returned to that zone through the openings if the liquidis carried into the baffle means downstream of that zone.

7. In a washing machine,

a rotary horizontally-extending elongate washing drum having open endsfor the introduction and removal of wash material,

means defining two annular guide tracks mounted on the exterior of thedrum,

a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers engaged in each guide track,

mounting means for each said roller,

drive means coupled to rotate the drum,

a plurality of spaced hollow baflle rings rigidly mounted within thedrum, adjacent baffie rings defining individual wash-treatment zones,

a plurality of inclined ribs secured to the inside face of the drum forforwarding wash material through the drum,

pipe means introducing wash treatment liquid into the individual zones,and

trough means disposed below each bafile ring externally of the drum,

the baffie rings and parts of the drum surrounding the baflle ringshaving openings for the passage of liquid from that zone upstream of agiven one of the baffle rings which has been carried over by washmaterial to the trough means.

8. In a washing machine,

a rotary horizontally-extending elongate washing drum having open endsfor the introduction and removal of wash material,

means defining two annular guide tracks mounted on the exterior of thedrum,

a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers engaged in each guide track,

mounting means for each said roller,

drive means coupled to rotate the drum,

a plurality of spaced hollow helical baffies rigidly mounted within thedrum, adjacent bafiles defining individual wash-treatment zones, andeach baffie extending through substantially 360 between the endsthereof,

casing means extending between the ends of each bafille,

said bafiles and easing means having apertures therein through whichliquid from a given treatment zone entrained by wash material passingover the battle and the casing means on the way to the next adjacentzone downstream can be returned to said given treatment zone,

a plurality of ribs secured to the interior face of the drum forwardingwash material through the drum, and

pipe means introducing wash treatment liquid into the individual zones.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,930 6/1901 Cadwgan 68-581,121,837 12/1914 Howard 68-58 2,300,690 11/1942 Neuman 68-158 X2,312,657 3/1943 Locke 68-58 X 3,210,969 10/ 1965 Sulzmann 68-58 IRVINGBUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner,

1. IN A WASHING MACHINE, A ROTARY WASHING DRUM HAVING OPEN ENDS, ANDBAFFLE MEANS WITHIN THE DRUM DEFINING INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT ZONES, SAIDBAFFLE MEANS COMPRISING, HOLLOW RINGS EACH BEING FORMED WITH OPENINGSSUCH THAT LIQUID IN A GIVEN ZONE IS RETURNED TO THAT ZONE THROUGH THEOPENINGS IF THE LIQUID IS CARRIED INTO THE HOLLOW RING DOWNSTREAM OFTHAT ZONE.